Grim Deeds

Item: R4RE
Rating: 8
Author: thenameisryan

R4RE (2019)

thenameisryan

This Grim Deeds full length release is another amidst his constant flood of various single song releases. R4RE is brief, twelve songs in about twenty-five minutes. And like other Grim Deeds creations, it’s got different themes and styles to keep our attention.

One of the major elements in any Grim Deeds release is a focus on mental health issues and this one is no different. Songs like “Okay With Anything” reminds me of an ‘80’s college rock song while the lyrics focus on personality and self-worth, singing about being treated “like shit” because Grim is “okay with anything”. “I Feel Like Shit” falls into this same theme while the mid-tempo pacing and jangly sloppy guitars provide a nice, simple foundation for some of the best vocals and harmonies on the record. More buzzing pop punk songs pop up throughout as well. “55 Lies” and “It’s You I Dislike” are catchy-as-all-hell songs that bring along chainsaw guitars and simply addictive Screeching Weasel-style guitar solos. Keeping with the theme, Deeds sings about all the bad things a love of his might do to him while his love still remains on one song (“55 Lies”) and plays out a sort of revenge fantasy on the other (“It’s You I Dislike”). These songs are fantastic.

Another song to note is “Dear David Jones”, an ode to David Jones (singer from After School Special and Enemy You that passed in 2015) that was co-written with Lillington / Bottlerocket Kody Templeman. In this, they share vocals and sing about how much they’ve been helped by him, and how much they miss him. They even make mention of Brandon Carlisle, Kody’s former Teenage Bottlerocket bandmate who also passed in 2015. They bring some nice lead guitar and production to this one and do some cool harmonizing throughout the song. While it’s a bit of a downer, it’s a great song.

All in all, this is an excellent Grim Deeds release. It’s got authenticity, it’s got some speed, it’s got variety, and it’s got hooks for days. If that sounds up your alley, I’m guessing you’ll find a lot to like on this one.